a springboard?

Dear friends and supporters

Yesterday Splashback! handed in the petition with 6200 signatures to Lord Provost George Grubb, following our deputation in support of the Green's motion to delay the sale of Leith Waterworld for six months to allow a potential credible community bid to be developed.

The petition was addressed to the Council , and asked: 
 

We, the undersigned, are dismayed by the decision to close Leith Waterworld. We believe this would be a hammerblow to Leith, and to children, families and people with disabilities from across the whole of Edinburgh. We believe the £300,000 required to keep the pool open each year is an investment in the health and wellbeing, confidence and future of our community.

We demand the Council reviews the 2005 decision to close the unique facility and investigate all possible avenues for retaining the amenity and keeping the pool open for the Edinburgh public for the future.

The motion was carried with a minor amendment by the administration by 45 votes to 11.  Finally after two months of campaigning, here (in the pic) are the Councillors standing up for Leith, as they make their decision to support the possibility of a community bid.  NB the Big Society Tories sitting down in the top left!

Splashback is delighted that the pool has a reprieve for six months.  A community bid was never our first choice for the pool, but we believe it is one of the options that could safeguard the future of the pool for our community and city...

'Delay to Leith Waterworld a success but not a result' STV article


'Stay of execution for Waterworld' Edinburgh Evening News article

'Campaigners hope to break down 'brick wall' to save Leith Waterworld'  STV article

Petition D-day

Green MSP for Lothian, Alison Johnstone, will support Splashback! campaigners tomorrow, Thursday 2 February, as they hand in the petition of over 6,200 signatures to the City of Edinburgh Council. 

The petition, which calls for the Council to “investigate all possible avenues for retaining the amenity and keeping the pool open for the Edinburgh public for the future”, demonstrates overwhelming public support for the campaign to save Leith Waterworld. Over 5,000 signatures were added in person outside Leith Waterworld before it closed on 8 January, with over 1,100 added online.

The pool might have closed on 8 January, but we continue to fight for its future as an amenity for Leith and the whole of Edinburgh. Though Councillors voted, on 22 December, to uphold the decision to close, we feel the demand made by the petition is still current, and ask Councillors to consider the options.

We are handing in the petition at the Full Council Meeting, where Green councillor Steve Burgess is tabling a motion to delay the sale of the Waterworld site (closing date 8 February) to allow the possibility of a community purchase.  

Splashback! supports this motion, and the possibility of having time for a credible community bid to develop. The campaign will be presenting a deputation at the Full Council Meeting saying so. There are 11 community-run swimming pools in Scotland; we believe every chance should be given to this potential outcome for the Leith Waterworld site.

Splashmob!

This Saturday 17 December:

SPLASHMOB... Come show your support in a crazy outfit!

Press photographers will be there to take some pics for the papers.

Bring the whole family... all ages welcome, the more the merrier! Get dressed up in anything water/swimming/ocean/beach-themed (armbands, flippers, snorkel, mermaid suit, beach hat, hula skirt, fish mask, hawaiian shirt etc etc), bring placards and instruments!

Get ready to dance, there'll be some music! Gather 10am for 10.30 outside Leith Waterworld.
Join this event on Facebook

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The SUB will be parked outside the pool again this Friday to Sunday to collect petition signatures. If you can help man the SUB, please email splashbackedinburgh@gmail.com